Traditional Smoking vs Liquid Smoke: What the EU Decision Reveals

Sep 18

At Salamander Sauce Company, we use smoked sea salt in two of our three hot sauces. When we started researching smoking methods, we found the science is more complex, and more unsettled, than most articles acknowledge. Here's what the research actually shows, where the gaps are, and why we made the choices we did.

By Timothy Kavarnos, Founder | Salamander Sauce Company

Quick Answer

The EU did not renew eight liquid smoke flavourings in 2024 after EFSA found that two compounds, furan-2(5H)-one and benzene-1,2-diol, exceeded its safety threshold for DNA-reactive substances by more than 1,700 times. Yet traditional smoking wasn't restricted at all. That decision was about jurisdiction over food additives, not a ruling that one method is safer than another.

What we don't know: whether smoked salt, smoked paprika, or traditionally smoked foods carry the same genotoxic compounds at concerning levels. The EU has commissioned studies to find out. Until then, anyone claiming one smoke method is definitively safer than another is getting ahead of the science.

Fire transforms rather than destroys. But understanding how it transforms matters.

What Is Liquid Smoke?

Liquid smoke is exactly what it sounds like: smoke captured in liquid form. Wood chips or sawdust are burned in a controlled environment, and the resulting smoke passes through a condenser where it cools and liquefies. The liquid is filtered to remove tars and impurities, then bottled.

The result is a concentrated smoke flavoring that can add barbecue-style smokiness to foods without actually smoking them.

A Brief History

Ernest H. Wright, a Kansas City pharmacist, is credited with commercializing liquid smoke in 1895. As a teenager working in a print shop, he noticed liquid dripping from the stove pipe, smoke condensing when it hit cold air. Wright eventually developed a method to capture and sell this condensed smoke, initially to farmers for preserving meats. Wright's Liquid Smoke, now owned by B&G Foods, is still sold today.^[1]

How Liquid Smoke Is Made

The basic production process involves four steps:

Burning: Wood chips or sawdust (hickory, mesquite, applewood, etc.) are burned in a controlled chamber
Condensation: Smoke rises through a condenser where it meets cold water and liquefies
Settling: The mixture sits for days while insoluble compounds settle out
Filtration: Multiple filtration stages remove tars and particulate matter

The quality, and safety profile, of the final product depends heavily on wood source, temperature control, and filtration.

What's Actually in Liquid Smoke

Understanding the EU decision requires knowing what smoke actually contains. According to research published in Food Science & Nutrition, liquid smoke contains three main classes of compounds:^[2]

Compound Class	Examples	Function
Phenolic compounds	Syringol, guaiacol, catechol (benzene-1,2-diol)	Smoky flavor, antioxidant properties
Carbonyl compounds	Furan-2(5H)-one, cyclopentenone	Sweet/caramel notes, color development
Organic acids	Acetic acid, propionic acid	Preservation, pH control

Here's what matters: the compounds that give liquid smoke its flavor are the same compounds that raised safety concerns. Furan-2(5H)-one contributes sweet, caramel notes. Benzene-1,2-diol (catechol) contributes burnt, phenolic flavor. These aren't contaminants that can be filtered out; they're core flavor molecules.

The EU Decision: What Actually Happened

In November 2023, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published assessments of eight smoke flavoring primary products. In July 2024, the EU formally decided not to renew their authorizations, deleting them from the Union list of authorised smoke flavourings.^[3]

The finding wasn't about PAHs. For years, the industry focused on reducing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, the carcinogenic compounds formed during combustion. Filtration successfully reduced PAH levels in liquid smoke.

The finding was about genotoxicity. EFSA identified two compounds, furan-2(5H)-one and benzene-1,2-diol, that showed genotoxic effects (DNA damage) in studies. They applied the Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) for DNA-reactive mutagens: 0.0025 µg/kg body weight per day.^[4]

The Key Number

For proFagus Smoke R714 (SF-001), EFSA calculated that exposure estimates ran at least 1,720 times above the TTC value at the proposed use levels.^[5] That's not 2× or 10×: it's orders of magnitude above what EFSA considers acceptable for a DNA-reactive substance.

The Industry Response

Kerry Group, one of the major liquid smoke manufacturers, contested the decision. Their position:^[6]

EFSA agreed that genotoxicity tests on the complete products were negative: no harmful effects were observed when testing the whole mixture
The concern was based on individual components (furan-2(5H)-one and benzene-1,2-diol), not the product as a whole
These compounds "are not unique to smoke flavourings and are present in many common foods"
EFSA took a conservative approach, considering worst-case scenarios

This is a genuine scientific dispute, not corporate spin. How to assess complex mixtures when individual components show genotoxicity is legitimately unsettled.

Why Traditional Smoking Wasn't Banned

Here's where it gets complicated. The EU restricted liquid smoke additives while allowing traditional smoking to continue. That seems paradoxical: isn't all smoke chemistry similar? The answer is regulatory, not scientific.

Jurisdiction: EU Regulation 2065/2003 governs smoke flavoring additives, not cooking methods. The EU can regulate what goes into food as an additive; it cannot ban how people cook.
Cultural protection: Traditional smoked products like Pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika) and various smoked meats hold Protected Designation of Origin status. Banning centuries-old traditions would be politically impossible.
Precautionary principle: Applies differently to novel industrial additives than to traditional practices.

The European Commission stated it plainly: "EFSA's opinions only concern smoke flavourings, not traditionally smoked foods."^[7]

What the EU Is Doing Next

The EU has asked EFSA to perform a comparative risk assessment of different smoking processes, and there's discussion of monitoring furan-2(5H)-one and benzene-1,2-diol in traditionally smoked meat, cheese, and fish.^[8] In other words: regulators know this isn't settled. They restricted the products they have authority over while commissioning research on everything else.

The honest answer is often "we don't fully know yet." That's not a weakness; it's the starting point for getting it right.

The p53 Study: Context Matters

A 2013 Johns Hopkins study tested various foods and flavorings for DNA-damaging potential using p53 activation as a marker. The results have been widely cited, and often misunderstood.^[9]

What they found:

Liquid smoke flavoring showed up to roughly 28-fold increases in p53 activity, approaching the level of the chemotherapy drug etoposide (about 33-fold)
Black and green teas and coffee also showed high p53 activation
Smoked paprika barely activated p53, staying near baseline
Hickory smoke powder, by contrast, showed real but moderate activation (about 12-fold), well below liquid smoke's peak

What this means, and doesn't mean: p53 activation indicates DNA stress, but it's not necessarily harmful. p53 is often called the "guardian of the genome": it triggers repair mechanisms. Tea and coffee activate p53 yet are associated with lower cancer risk in epidemiological studies. The lead researcher, Dr. Scott Kern, explicitly stated the study doesn't suggest people should stop using these products, just that more research is needed.

The results split: smoked paprika barely registered, near baseline, while hickory smoke powder showed real activation at about 12-fold, lower than liquid smoke's peak of 28-fold but not negligible. That's not a clean "solid substrate is safe" result. It suggests the matrix may matter, but not in a simple way, and it says nothing about smoked salt specifically, which this study didn't test at all.

What About Smoked Salt?

Here's what we actually know: In 2017, the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) tested 22 samples of smoked salt for PAH content. All samples were compliant with PAH regulations. Four samples were rejected, two for labeling and two for packaging, but none exceeded PAH safety limits.^[10]

Here's what we don't know:

Whether smoked salt contains furan-2(5H)-one and benzene-1,2-diol at concerning levels (no studies have specifically tested for these)
Whether the matrix effect (smoke adsorbed onto salt crystals) changes the risk profile
Whether the dosage in typical culinary use makes a meaningful difference

We can't claim smoked salt is safer. The specific studies haven't been done. And the dosage argument has limits: in our own Whiskey-infused sauce, smoked salt is a small but deliberate amount we control precisely, not a hidden trace.

The honest position: we don't know whether smoked salt contains furan-2(5H)-one and benzene-1,2-diol at concerning levels. We chose it for transparency and control, not because we can prove it's safer.

Alternatives to Liquid Smoke

If you want smoky flavor without liquid smoke, whether because of the EU situation, ingredient transparency, or just wanting options, here's what's available:

Smoked Salt

Salt smoked over wood fires absorbs smoke compounds directly onto the crystal structure. You'll see "smoked sea salt" or "hickory smoked salt" clearly on ingredient labels, no mystery about what's in the product. What we know: PAH-compliant per Austrian AGES testing. What we don't: whether it contains furan-2(5H)-one and benzene-1,2-diol at concerning levels, and no studies have tested for this.

Smoked Paprika (Pimentón de la Vera)

Peppers dried over oak wood fires for 10–15 days. A Protected Designation of Origin product from Spain. The Johns Hopkins study found smoked paprika did not activate p53 like liquid smoke did. Consideration: some samples of smoked paprika have shown elevated PAH levels, high enough to exceed the limits that apply to ordinary dried spices, though smoked paprika is exempt from those limits. Germany's BfR assessed the elevated levels as a low public-health concern at typical consumption.^[11]

Chipotle Peppers

Smoke-dried jalapeños. Traditional Mexican production uses pecan or mesquite wood, smoking for six or more days. Combines smokiness with heat in one ingredient.

Actual Smoking

With the equipment and time, traditional smoking gives you direct control over wood type, temperature, and duration. Process control matters here: uncontrolled smoking can exceed PAH safety limits by 10× or more, while controlled methods can stay well within them.^[13]

Kerry's "Fire UP" Products

In response to the EU decision, Kerry Group developed "EU compliant alternatives" including smoked sugar, smoked maltodextrin, smoked garlic powder, smoked onion powder, and smoked vinegar.^[12] These are essentially the same category as smoked salt: smoke flavor captured on a solid substrate rather than concentrated in liquid form.

Our Approach at Salamander

We use hickory smoked sea salt in our Original and Whiskey-infused sauces. Here's our reasoning, and what we can't claim.

Why we chose smoked salt:

Ingredient transparency: "Smoked sea salt" on a label tells you exactly what you're getting. "Natural smoke flavor" doesn't.
Control: We can specify exactly how much goes in and adjust it precisely.
Philosophy: We build flavor from real, recognizable ingredients (whole vegetables, real bourbon, smoked salt), not industrial flavor concentrates.

What we can't claim:

That smoked salt is safer than liquid smoke on genotoxicity grounds, those studies haven't been done
That we've avoided the compounds EFSA flagged, since we simply don't know whether they're present in smoked salt
That the amount is trivial: in our Whiskey sauce it's a small but deliberate amount we control precisely

We chose smoked salt because we prefer knowing exactly what's in our products and being able to tell you clearly what's in yours. That's a transparency and philosophy choice, not a safety claim.

Our Tropical sauce contains no smoked ingredients at all, an option if you want to avoid smoke flavor entirely.

Sources

[1] Wikipedia. "Liquid smoke."
[2] Montazeri N, et al. "Chemical characterization of commercial liquid smoke products." Food Science & Nutrition. 2013;1(1):102–115. PMC3951573
[3] Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2067 of 31 July 2024 (deletion of SF-001 to SF-010 from the Union list); per-product refusals incl. Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2066 (SF-002). EUR-Lex.
[4] EFSA FAF Panel. Scientific opinions on the renewal of smoke flavouring primary products. EFSA Journal. 2023.
[5] EFSA FAF Panel. "proFagus Smoke R714 (SF-001)." EFSA Journal. 2023;21(11):8363 (exposure ≥1,720× the TTC). PMC10652307
[6] Kerry Group. "Safety & Regulation: Smoke Flavourings." smokeflavourings.info.
[7] European Commission statement on smoke flavourings, 2024.
[8] Kerry Group. "Fire UP™ Smoke Taste Solutions." explore.kerry.com.
[9] Hossain MZ, Kern SE, et al. "Biological clues to potent DNA-damaging activities in food and flavoring." Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2013;55:557–567.
[10] Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES). "PAHs in smoked salt." Report A-004-17. September 2017.
[11] BfR. "Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in smoked paprika powder." Opinion 018/2024, 21 March 2024.
[12] Kerry Group. "Fire UP™: EU compliant alternatives to smoke flavourings." 2024.
[13] Puljić L, et al. "The Influence of Different Smoking Procedures on the Content of 16 PAHs in Traditional Dry Cured Smoked Meat 'Hercegovačka Pečenica.'" Foods. 2019;8(12):690. PMC6963550

The Bottom Line

Traditional smoking versus liquid smoke isn't a simple safety verdict. The EU restricted eight liquid smoke additives over genotoxic compounds it couldn't clear, then left traditional smoking, smoked salt, and smoked paprika alone, and commissioned the studies it hasn't run yet. The honest reading is that the science is unsettled, and most coverage pretends otherwise.

What we could control, we did. We use hickory smoked sea salt because the label says exactly what it is and we decide exactly how much goes in, the same reason we build everything from ingredients you can name rather than flavor concentrates.

When the science isn't settled, transparency is the honest move: tell people what's in the bottle, and tell them what you don't know.

The Salamander Standard

I created sauces I actually wanted to use. Flavor and fire working together, creating a depth that works with your food. Sauces without the vinegar bite. That’s what every bottle is built around, and what we measure ourselves against:

✓ Fruits and vegetables first — not vinegar and water
✓ Real depth from layered ingredients, no extracts or powders
✓ Ingredients I’d have in my kitchen
✓ Low sodium because whole foods only need a touch
✓ No xanthan gum or artificial thickeners
✓ Brooklyn Born

Every bottle. Every batch. The Original recipe since 2009; incorporated 2013. See exactly what’s in each sauce →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is liquid smoke banned in the United States?

No. The FDA considers liquid smoke Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS). The EU action applies only within Europe. Liquid smoke remains legal and widely used in the US, Canada, UK, and most other countries.

What exactly did the EU do?

It declined to renew the authorization of eight specific smoke flavoring primary products used as food additives, deleting them from its authorised list. These are industrial smoke concentrates used in processed foods. The decision does not affect traditionally smoked foods, smoked salt, or smoked paprika.

What are furan-2(5H)-one and benzene-1,2-diol?

Compounds that form when wood burns. Furan-2(5H)-one (also called γ-crotonolactone) is found in coffee, bread, and many heat-treated foods. Benzene-1,2-diol (catechol) has antioxidant properties but can generate DNA-damaging compounds through oxidation. Both contribute to smoke flavor; they're not contaminants that can be filtered out.

Is smoked salt safer than liquid smoke?

We don't know. Smoked salt passes PAH testing, but no one has tested it for the genotoxic compounds (furan-2(5H)-one and benzene-1,2-diol) that triggered the EU action on liquid smoke. The Johns Hopkins study found smoked paprika barely activated p53, though hickory smoke powder showed moderate activation, and it didn't test smoked salt at all. Anyone claiming smoked salt is definitively safer is getting ahead of the research.

Is traditional smoking safer than liquid smoke?

It depends what you're measuring. For PAHs: controlled liquid smoke typically has lower levels than uncontrolled traditional smoking. For the genotoxic compounds (furan-2(5H)-one, benzene-1,2-diol): traditional smoking hasn't been systematically tested yet. The EU has commissioned studies to find out.

Why did the Johns Hopkins study find that smoked paprika didn't activate p53 like liquid smoke?

The researchers didn't fully explain it. Possibilities include different compound profiles, matrix effects (smoke on a solid substrate versus a concentrated liquid), or dosage differences in how the products were tested. More research would be needed to understand the mechanism.

Should I stop using liquid smoke?

That's a personal decision. The EU action is a precautionary approach to food additives, not proof of harm at typical consumption levels. The same compounds exist in coffee, bread, and many other foods. If you're concerned, alternatives like smoked salt or smoked paprika offer smoky flavor through different pathways, though their specific safety profiles on these compounds haven't been studied either.

What about PAHs in smoked foods?

PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) are a separate concern from the genotoxic compounds that triggered the EU action. PAHs are regulated in the EU with maximum limits for various food categories. Properly filtered liquid smoke typically has low PAH levels; uncontrolled traditional smoking can run higher.

Does Salamander Sauce contain liquid smoke?

No. We use hickory smoked sea salt in our Original and Whiskey-infused varieties for controlled smoky flavor. Our Tropical sauce contains no smoked ingredients. You can see our complete ingredient lists on our shop page.

📚 Related Reading

Taste the Depth

Three sauces bringing flavor and fire together with ingredients you can read.

Shop Salamander Sauce

About Timothy Kavarnos

Timothy Kavarnos is the founder of Salamander Sauce Company, a Brooklyn-based hot sauce maker building sauces from whole vegetables and real ingredients, dedicated to bringing flavor and fire together. Over fifteen years ago, he started making hot sauce in his kitchen because he couldn't find one that brought them together. Today, Salamander Sauce is produced in New York's Hudson Valley using the same recipes: whole habaneros, real bourbon, and a body built from vegetables, not vinegar. The low sodium was a byproduct, not the goal. Timothy writes about hot sauce, ingredients, and flavor science on the Salamander Sauce blog.

Flavor is the soul, fire is the heartbeat.

Timothy Kavarnos https://www.salamandersauce.com